At Peace with the World - by Alice Rosewell

 

A week ago I started reading a book called “The Biology of Desire” by Marc Lewis. It’s taking me an age to get through, not because it’s dull, far from it, but because I have to stop every few sentences and think about what he’s saying and make notes.

The book is about addiction, and he makes the point that addiction rarely has anything to do with pleasure, rather it happens when a natural desire for peace of mind has been hijacked by a habit which has gained an unbreakable hold on its victim before they are even conscious of it.

It confirmed a vague feeling I had that “”to be at peace with the world” was my highest desire.

I have long been a believer in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs as a model for building happiness and fulfilment, and I’ve now constructed my own “hierarchy of desires” as an aide-memoire of the things that are most important to me. 

At the top is “To feel at peace with the world”, supported by other emotional desires: to feel cheerful, carefree, and at ease.

Beneath these are the desires for intellectual feelings: clarity of thought, feeling satisfied with my own daily efforts.

Then physical desires: to feel pain-free and energetic

Below these, the desires to “Do”: all those things which will promote the feelings.

And finally, the desire to “Achieve”: short and long-term goals which will sustain everything above. 

As a model it’s still pretty clunky, and I’ve deliberately not included my desires for the happiness of others which can be overwhelming, but as part of the constant striving to live better, I find it a useful image to keep in mind. 

Love and Peace - Alice

 

 

My name is Alice Rosewell and I live in Bristol in the South West of England (UK), the city where I was born.  I write in British English, so I hope that American readers will not be put off by British spelling of some words.

The first story I remember writing was at primary school, about the age of 7. This was followed by a dry spell which latest about 50 years during which I got through University, brought up a couple of kids, and had a successful career  in IT.

I had the outline of a story which I’d dreamed up one evening in the pub, but that sat in a folder for more than a decade until I got made redundant for the 2nd time in one year! This event coincided with the Kindle becoming mainstream, and Indie publishing an option. I dusted off my few pages of ideas and got to work. For the last few years I have been writing contemporary women’s fiction, publishing three novels: Irrelevant Women, The Kite Makers, and my latest, An End to Dreaming.  A good friend described my writing as intriguing, uplifting, and will not give you nightmares!  I think that about sums it up.